Newsletter 2023/16 ~ 9 June 2023

As partners in Catholic Education and open to God’s presence, we pursue the fullness of life for all.

St. Patrick’s School is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all students.

St. Patrick's School is a child safe school.

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Victoria and pay respect to the ongoing living cultures of First Peoples. 

This newsletter comes to you from the lands of the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagalk Nations.

From the Principal

God of Winter

God of winter,

We praise you:

God of soaking rains,

Of hail and snow, wind and storm,

Of torrents surging down creek beds,

Streams filling reservoirs,

And tanks full and running over.

God of brisk winter mornings,

Of frosted paddocks under moonlight,

Of warm socks, coats, and gloves,

Heaters, radiators, and glowing fires.

God of little children splashing in puddles,

Sailing make-believe boats in flooded gutters,

Of raincoats, and umbrellas, and gumboots,

And the scent of hot soup from the kitchen.

God of winter, glorious winter,

The unpopular, slandered season,

Yet one filled with renewed hope

For farms, town, and city.

God of life-sustaining winter,

Author of re-creation and providence

Renewing the roots of life,

God of glorious winter,

Blessed is your name

In all the Earth!

Amen.

Winter has definitely arrived and it has brought its arctic winds, heavy rains and spectacular lightning shows.

As the cold weather has settled in, it still amazes me that some students are arriving at school without wearing their school jumpers or extra layers under their shirts.  Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the conditions on the day.

I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend and manage to stay both warm and dry.

CURRENT & RECENT EVENTS

New Staff Member

Mrs Helen Wills has been appointed to teach the Years 2 - 4 class in second semester.  Mrs Wills is an experienced teacher who has taught in Horsham, Ballarat and Casterton.  To assist with the transition process, Mrs Wills joined us at St Patrick’s School next Wednesday and will do so several more times before the end of the term.  Mrs Wills will be replacing Miss Squires who will be taking leave next semester to do some travelling that has been on hold for the past few years.

Sussing Out Our Solar System

We had a wonderful presentation on Monday morning as Samantha took us on a journey through our solar system (not literally!).

We were informed about the Sun, which is the centre of our solar system which also lies within the Milky Way.  We learnt interesting facts about each of the planets and even met a couple of ‘aliens’ who had crashed into Earth.

The show was both funny and informative, and was enjoyed by all.

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Push Up Challenge

Just over a week into The Push-Up Challenge and our shoulders are feeling the effects of our efforts.  So far, we have collectively completed over 2000 push ups.

The challenge is to each complete 3144 push ups between 1-23 June.  This number represents the number of Australians who took their own lives during 2021.  By completing the push ups and fundraising efforts we are helping to promote awareness of Mental Health issues as well as supporting organisations such as Headspace and Lifeline.  Anyone wishing to join our team is welcome to do so.  Feel free to join or sponsor us at this link.

Soil Week Australia Competition for Primary School Students

Soil Week Australia, a not-for-profit organization creating awareness of the importance of healthy soil, is running a free competition for primary school students with great prizes (and all students receive a certificate of participation).

The topic is about worms and their connection to healthy soil and the environment, which is a great project for students to explore interesting things and learn about nature and climate.  Students can enter on their own or as part of a group. Previous entrants had fun doing the project.

Students from the Wimmera region have a special category just for them which is supported by the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority.

Prizes: 1st Prize - $500 JB Hi-Fi voucher; 2nd Prize - $200 JB Hi-Fi voucher; 3rd Prize - $100 JB Hi-Fi voucher.

Entries close 15 September.

SIMON Everywhere - mobile PAM access

As you are aware the Parent Access Module (PAM) is the school’s primary communication tool with parents/guardians. All parents should have setup their PAM access already, but many of you will not have taken the next step and installed the SIMON Everywhere app on your mobile phone.

SIMON Everywhere will become your one-stop-shop for school communication. It provides real time access to keep you updated with your child’s progress, important dates and messages. In particular, it enables the school to use push notifications (much like the messages app on your phone), to send instant messages and reminders.

All parents/guardians are requested to install the SIMON Everywhere app by following these instructions:

1. Find and install the SIMON Everywhere app from your app store (Google Play, Apple App Store)
2. Open the app, add your name, mobile phone number and select Get SMS Code
3. Enter your one-time password 
4. Select Login
5. Select the +Add School tile
6. Search for St Patrick’s School Nhill
7. Select the Parent Access login
8. Enter your PAM credentials
9. Select Submit

Please speak to office staff if you have any questions.

Junior “Master the Masters” Exhibition

A reminder that our Years 5 and 6 students have completed artworks which are on display at Gallery Central throughout the month of June as part of the gallery’s “Master the Masters” exhibition.

Please call in and view all the excellent exhibits.

Gallery Central, 18 Victoria Street, Nhill

UPCOMING EVENTS

Long Weekend

A reminder that there is no school on Monday as it is the King’s Birthday Public Holiday.

Freestyle Dance Ministry

Justin from Freestyle Dance Ministry will be visiting us again on Tuesday.  Justin has been a regular visitor over the past few years and engages the students with his hip-hop dance routines that the students join in with.  We are most grateful for the support of Hindmarsh Shire with bringing Justin to our school again.

Winter Lightning Premierships

The Years 3-6 students will be participating in the Little Desert Winter Lightning Premiership next Thursday at Nhill College.  All students will be involved in playing Tee-ball on the day.

Students will leave  school at 9.30am and travel to Nhill College and will return before the end of the school day.  Permission slips have been sent out to all Years 3-6 families via PAM and must be completed before next Wednesday.

Kinder Visits

Current 4 year old Kinder students and their families are invited to visit our school on Friday 14 July from 9.15am until 11am.

Children and their parents will be able to join our Foundation-Year 1 class during the morning session.  There will be an opportunity for a short walk-through of our school to see our classes in action.  Parents will then be invited to an information session in the hall whilst the children continue with the classroom activity.

Children are to bring a drink bottle with water, and a piece of fresh fruit to eat during our Fruit Break time at 10am.

I invite all families who are considering their Primary School options for 2024, to come and take a look at what we have to offer at St Patrick’s School. 

If you are unable to attend on 14 July and would like to arrange an alternate time, please contact me on 0419929271 or principal@spnhill.catholic.edu.au

We look forward to nurturing your child’s future.

Enrolments for 2024 are now being accepted.  Please contact the front office for an enrolment package.

Nhill Kindergarten Open Day

Child Safe Standards

All students enrolled at St Patrick’s School have the right to feel safe and be safe. The safety and wellbeing of children in the school’s care will always be our first priority and the school will not tolerate child abuse. The school will create a child-safe and child-friendly environment where children are free to enjoy life to the full without any concern for their safety. Particular attention is paid to the most vulnerable children and young people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, those from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with a disability, children who are unable to live at home, international students, and LGBTQIA+ students. The full policy can be accessed via our school’s website: https://spnhill.catholic.edu.au/policies-procedures

The school’s Child Safety Officer is the Principal, Mr Kingsley Dalgleish.

All parents and volunteers that are onsite when students are onsite, or attend school events, are required to hold a Working with Children Check (WWCC) and sign the school’s Child Safety Code of Conduct. If we do not have a current copy of your WWCC, please present your card to the office for photocopying. We will endeavour to get all families to sign the code of conduct in the very near future.

We are committed to continuous improvement in our approach to child safety and well-being and welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on ways we can further strengthen our child safety policies, procedures, and practices. If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, please contact the Principal either by phone or email principal@spnhill.catholic.edu.au

Sunday’s Gospel

John 3:16-18

Jesus said to Nicodemus,

'God loved the world so much 

that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost

but may have eternal life.

For God sent his Son into the world

not to condemn the world,

but so that through him the world might be saved.

No one who believes in him will be condemned;

but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already,

because he has refused to believe

in the name of God's only Son.'

Sunday’s Gospel affirms who Jesus is, why he came to earth, and what belief in him results in. This verse depicts how great God’s love for the world is that he would be willing to offer up his son for us, which was an enormous sacrifice on God’s part. It is because of God’s sacrificial love that those of us who believe in Jesus and follow him gain eternal life.

Our Josephite Heritage

The Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, often called the "Josephites" or "Brown Joeys", were founded in Penola, South Australia, in 1866 by Mary MacKillop and the Rev. Julian Tenison Woods. In 1949, three Josephite sisters arrived in Nhill to open St Patrick’s School. In 1978, the Sisters of St Joseph informed the Nhill Parish that they would no longer be able to maintain their role within the school.

We endeavour to honour our Josephite heritage through the regular presentation of the Little Joey awards at our assemblies. In support of this we also include a reflection from Mary MacKillop on our newsletter each week.

By the Numbers

Fifty-nine is the 17th prime number. 59 is an irregular prime, a safe prime and the 14th supersingular prime.  (It is also a certain Principal's age!)

Classroom and Student News

Middle Class

This week in the Middles room students have not only been learning lots of new skills but sharing their learning with the class. 

In Reading: We have been identifying verbs and using them in our sentences. Our big book this week was ‘Rent a Llama’ which has tied in nicely with our writing.

Writing: We have been learning about story grammar and how to identify story grammar in texts as well as short animations. Students have also been involved in ‘What Happened Next’ and ‘Sizzling Starts’ writing workshops. Students were given snippets of a story to continue on their own and create descriptive paragraphs. 

Maths: Students have been solving 2, 3 and 4 digit subtraction with and without regrouping. We are also continuing to work on our number facts and patterns.

Art: A highlight for the week has been using a green screen to create digital art. Students have used the green screen to transport themselves all over the world, including on holiday to Disneyland, to AFL games and even into space!

Our whole class goal is remembering to bring in our diaries as well as be responsible for completing and bringing in our homework books.

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support SWPBS

Throughout the day, staff monitor for students demonstrating aspects of Respect, Responsibility
and Safety within our school. Students are issued a ticket to place in their classroom container. During assemblies, a draw takes place and those who have their ticket drawn out are invited to place a marble in their House container. The House with the most marbles at the end of each term will be rewarded.

Congratulations to all children who were recognised for their positive actions around the school. This week James, Steev and AJ were randomly drawn from the nominations for Respect, Responsibility and Safety, and have added tokens to their respective Houses' tallies. 

Little Joey Awards

We continue to acknowledge the significant role of the "Brown Joeys" in the establishment of St Patrick's School, and recognised Charlotte M and Ma Thay Thay a with Little Joey awards.

Our Little Joeys receive a certificate, sticker and a voucher/goods donated by a local business.  We are very grateful for the contributions from our local businesses. 

Reading Achievements

The following students were recognised this week for their reading achievements:

50 nights - Destiny, Stella, Samual, Liberty.

Important Dates and Reminders

All calendar dates are available on PAM (SIMON Everywhere)

School Calendar

June

Mon 12 - King's Birthday Public Holiday

Tue 13 - Incursion: Freestyle Dance Hip Hop Workshops

Thu 15 - WWSSA Lightning Premierships Yrs 3-6

Fri 16 - Excursion: Yrs 5-6 Nhill College 

Fri 23 - Last Day Term 2

July

Mon 10 - First Day Term 3

Fri 14 - Kinder Visit 9.15-11.00am

Tue 18 - SAC Meeting 7.30pm

St Patrick's Nhill Church Times

Mass is held every Sunday at 11.00am

Reminders

Student late arrival, early departure, temporary absence procedures

A reminder to parents that any student late arrival, early departure or temporary absence must be recorded in the SIMON KIOSK located in the foyer.  If you have any difficulty following the instructions at the kiosk, please ask office staff.

Lunch Orders

Lunch orders should be written onto an envelope with correct money sealed inside.  Please don’t use plastic bags or waxed bags.  The writing wipes off these and the staff at the bakery find it hard to read.

You can find the lunch orders menu in PAM (SIMON Everywhere): - >Home, scroll down to >School Links

Parent Access Module PAM / SIMON Everywhere

We strongly encourage parents to use the Parent Access Module PAM (SIMON Everywhere) to inform us of student absences. These notes can be set in advance (if, for example, you know that your child will be absent a week in the future). Notes written in the diary are for communicating with teachers. Absent notes need to be directed to the office.

The Simon Everywhere app delivers instant notifications to parents' mobile phones, delivering the functionality of PAM in an easy to navigate app.  We will use Simon Everywhere for all important notifications.  

You will be able to manage all your day-to-day school needs from PAM (Simon Everywhere) - notify us of absences, provide permission for student activities, update medical/contact information, view the lunch orders menu, read the newsletter ...

Please contact the office with any questions.

Bus notes

Parents of bus travelling students please note that Nhill College has requested that any changes to travel arrangements (e.g. if you are picking up your child after school) be notified before 3.00pm on that day.  

You can do this by -

• use the Bus Change Notification Form on their website (link below) - this is a quick and easy process on your mobile phone (hint: add this as a quick link on your phone's home screen)
• calling our school office 53911575
• sending an email to principal@spnhill.catholic.edu.au or krintoule@spnhill.catholic.edu.au
  

Remember to follow us on Facebook

Those who are on Facebook are encouraged to follow our page at St Patrick's School, Nhill.  'Like' our page, enjoy our posts, and share them with your friends.  Stay connected through our Social Media page.

What you need to know about COVID-19 in Victoria

Please visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Victoria website (link below) for all up-to-date information about the response to COVID-19.

• All staff, students and visitors to schools should undertake regular hand hygiene, particularly on arrival to school, before and after eating, after blowing their nose, coughing, sneezing or using the toilet.
• Hand sanitiser will continue to be available for staff, students and visitors.
• The most important action school communities can take to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is to ensure that any unwell staff, parents/carers and students do not attend school sites, even with the mildest of symptoms, and get tested.
• It is recommended that rapid antigen tests (RATs) are used by students and staff if they:
• • have symptoms of COVID-19 infection, no matter how mild
  • are a household or close contact of someone who has COVID-19
  • are a social contact of someone who has COVID-19.
• The Department of Health recommends that all Victorians report their positive RAT result via the online form or by calling 1800 675 398 and inform those with whom they have recently been in contact, including their workplace, school and household.
• Principals are no longer required to inform their school community of a positive case associated with the school.

RATs are available for all Victorians from council sites. Individuals can obtain two free packs (10 tests) for themselves and two free packs (10 tests) for each household member. People with disability and their carers can get up to four free packs (20 tests) in line with existing RAT distribution for people with disability.

School Advisory Council

Parent Representatives

• Rebecca Curtis
• Emily Gladdis
• Moo Khu James
• Michaela Koop
• Zanther McEldrew
• Nathan Wheeler

Ex Officio

• Mons. Glynn Murphy - Parish Priest
• Kingsley Dalgleish - Principal

Next Meeting

• Tuesday 18 July 2023, 7.30pm

Our Mission

Community News

Homework Club - Nhill Learning Centre

Karen families are welcome to enrol their children in the Homework Club.

When: Tuesdays during school terms

Time: 3.30 - 5.00 pm

Where: The Patch, Clarence Street, Nhill

Contact for more information:

Nan Da San Bleh Dah (Coordinator) 0469064696

MATES Mentoring Program

An information session will be held on Monday June 19 from 12-2pm at Nhill College for prospective Mentors to come along to and find out more information about what a Mentor with MATES involves and how the MATES Program can have a positive influence and outcome for students and also for volunteers.

There will be a light lunch provided and tea and coffee.

The MATES Mentoring Program is coordinated by Wimmera Southern Mallee LLEN.

MATES Mentoring is 1 hour per fortnight at school, during school hours.  

For more information, see the below flyers.